GSU professor to lead fight against eminent domain

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By WGCL Digital Team

ATLANTA, GA — A court battle will begin Monday in Fulton County Superior Court as many people in a part of Atlanta say they're being forced out of their homes by the city.

Residents of the Peoplestown section of Atlanta are fighting to save their homes and they're getting the help of a Georgia State University law professor.

Tanya Washington says city planners are lying about the need to create a flood mitigation park in the neighborhood. They believe it's a land grab move by the city for gentrification instead.

"This didn't need to be. My neighbors who were displaced whose homes flooded didn't have to go," said Washington. "There was a solution. There was a cheaper solution. There was a solution that would have allowed my block to remain intact and for families to stay in their homes."

Washington and a handful of other neighbors have been fighting the city for years to keep their homes. The city has said they want the properties so they can instead build a retention pond.

"This is my home," Washington said back in late 2016. "I didn't buy it to flip it. I didn't buy it as an investment property for someone else to rent out. I bought it to live here and raise my family."

Watershed officials with the city of Atlanta told CBS46 the area is prone to heavy flooding, often times with raw sewage spilling out into the streets. The city says the current flood mitigation measures are not enough.

City officials said roughly two dozen homeowners have agreed to the proposal. A handful, including Washington, are fighting it. The community appears divided on the issue.

Monday's hearing begins at 10 a.m. CBS46 will be in the courtroom and will have updates as new details are learned.